Bruce Ucán
Growing up a Mayan Indian in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Chef Bruce Ucán was exposed early on to the flavors and techniques of Mayan cooking from his family and community. He came to the US in 1987 where he cooked in several local restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky. Entrepreneurial in nature, Chef Ucán always wanted to own his own business and create his own food. In 1996, he started a food truck business, the Gypsy Van, that sold tacos, salbutes and tamales at farmer's markets, construction sites and festivals. Just a year later, he opened a restaurant on East Market Street called the Mayan Gypsy, which later transformed into the Mayan Cafe, his current endeavor. Here, he fuses traditional Mayan recipes and and flavors with local, seasonal ingredients. He grew up eating the fruits and vegetables grown around him and is committed to sharing this philosophy for food with his customers here.
Attention Locavores & Foodies! On Tuesday, July 12 at 6:00pm, Chef Bruce Ucán will be giving his 2nd of 3 cooking lessons at Foxhollow Farm. Step into the kitchen and enjoy a cooking demo while following along with his recipes. The menu will be based around the fresh produce & beef from Foxhollow’s garden & fields. Come [...]
Shannon Essa, from Edible Santa Barbara, came to Louisville not long ago to eat and write about our fair city. She ate at 610 Magnolia & Jack Fry’s, visited 21C Museum Hotel & had coffee at Heine Brother’s. This is what she had to say about Mayan Cafe : “Chef Bruce Ucán (pictured above) is [...]
A Look Back Home : Chef Ucán’s Roots in Yucatan, Mexico Earlier this year, Chef Bruce & his wife traveled to Bruce’s village in Mexico to visit with his family. Joining them where Jessie & Chris Higdon of Kriech-Kigdon Photography who took pictures of the area where he grew up and began his culinary career. [...]
Take Farm-to-Table cooking to a new level! Foxhollow Farm will be hosting a cooking class with Chef Bruce Ucán from the Mayan Cafe! The class will take place on Tuesday, April 26th from 6-8:30pm at Foxhollow Farm. From 6-6:30 you will harvest some greens from Foxhollow Farm’s Garden. Then, step into the kitchen and enjoy [...]
Edible Magazine, Louisville’s dedicated publication representing our local food community, has recently published the winners of their Local Hero Awards. Readers voted on best farmer, food artisan, non-profit & chef/restaurant. And we won!! Chef Bruce Ucán & his Mayan Cafe were chosen as the winner of the chef/restaurant category. We would like to thank all [...]
Chef Bruce & his wife, Christina, have just returned from a week-long trip to Mexico. First & foremost, they were visiting with his family – his parents, 6 brothers & sisters, 10 nieces & nephews, and countless aunts, uncles & friends. Secondary to all this family fun, were the photos. Yes, The Photos. Accompanying them [...]
Growing up in a small village in southern Mexico, Chef Bruce Ucan roasted beans using this ancient Mayan recipe. At the Mayan Café, his tasty tok-sel lima beans surprise & delight customers.
Around the World Ethnic Cuisine in Louisville : A Love Story by Scott Wade Louisville Eccentric Observer, December 10, 2010 Local writer and food-lover, Scott Wade, interviews several ethnic chefs in Louisville, KY, sharing their personal stories of food and food culture. Chef Bruce Ucan, of the Mayan Cafe, is one of the chefs featured. [...]
